Isaiah 29 - Who is Ariel?

Chapter 29 is titled "Woe to Jerusalem" in the HCSB. The ESV, ASB, and KJV each have similar titles. And yet, Jerusalem is not mentioned in this chapter.

Isaiah 29:1a (HCSB) "Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped!"

Woe to Ariel, not Jerusalem, Ariel - the city where David camped. Ariel shows up in several places (2 Sam 23 & 1 Chron 11) as a man from Moab and in Ezra 8 as an Israelite. Three times in this chapter it refers to a city - which every serious commentator believes is Jerusalem; the context reveals this. The Hebrew word is obscure, but thought to mean the hearth place of an altar - alluding to judgment manifested as fire.

Isaiah 29:1b-4 (HCSB) "Continue year after year; let the festivals recur. I will oppress Ariel, and there will be mourning and crying, and she will be to Me like an Ariel. I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with earth ramps, and I will set up my siege towers against you. You will be brought down; you will speak from the ground, and your words will come from low in the dust. Your voice will be like that of a spirit from the ground; your speech will whisper from the dust."

God taunts Jerusalem, which was the pride of Israel. While they continue their normal routine, He is preparing to punish them. As in the days of Noah, when people were eating and drinking and married when the rains came down, so here will the people of Israel will be taken as they ignore the warnings - just as in the days of Noah. Read the military language of God's attack on Jerusalem; He will destroy their walls and the city, people will mourn and cry as they are brought low and grovel in the dust.

Isaiah 29:5-8 (HCSB) "Your many foes will be like fine dust, and many of the ruthless, like blowing chaff. Then suddenly, in an instant, you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder, earthquake, and loud noise, storm, tempest, and a flame of consuming fire. All the many nations going out to battle against Ariel— all the attackers, the siege works against her, and those who oppress her— will then be like a dream, a vision in the night. It will be like a hungry one who dreams he is eating, then wakes and is still hungry; and like a thirsty one who dreams he is drinking, then wakes and is still thirsty, longing for water. So it will be for all the many nations who go to battle against Mount Zion."

In the midst of Israel's doom, God turns His wrath on their enemies as YHWH meets with Israel in full strength to consume all who wage war against Ariel. These enemies will seem like a dream that cannot satisfy - a vapor with no substance. So it will be for all who wage war against Mt. Zion - the scene changes from earthly Jerusalem to the true kingdom of Mt Zion as a reminder of who God defends.

Isaiah 29:9-12 (HCSB) "Stop and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with beer. For the LORD has poured out on you an overwhelming urge to sleep; He has shut your eyes—the prophets, and covered your heads—the seers. For you the entire vision will be like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to one who can read and he is asked to read it, he will say, “I can’t read it, because it is sealed.” And if the document is given to one who cannot read and he is asked to read it, he will say, “I can’t read.”"

This scene ought to seem familiar, for we've read similar things in Isaiah. Recall the commissioning of Isaiah as a prophet in chapter 6, as he was sent to a people who would hear but not understand, would see but not perceive. Their eyes would be heavy with sleep - so they would not see and hear and be saved. And anther prophet was told to keep the book sealed: Daniel 12:4 (HCSB) “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.” Until THAT day arrives, the mystery of the gospel will be hidden from those not chosen. Many will claim to be wise but have not the wisdom that reveals Jesus as the Christ.

This is what God reveals next: Isaiah 29:13-14 (HCSB) "The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service— yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship ⌊consists of⌋ man-made rules learned ⌊by rote⌋— therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden."

Rote religion cannot please God nor save sinners. Traditions of man neither please God not benefit sinners. Such self-righteous nonsense characterizes those who build large barns on foundation of sand. And the One who created all and will judge all confounds these people, as in the days of the Tower of Babel. Even as late as when the promised Messiah walked the earth, the Jewish people were self-satisfied in their "law-keeping" and their fleshly lineage. The wonders that would confound them were the same as in Isaiah's time: Gentiles would be brought into the kingdom! Their wise men were found to be fools - with a few notable exceptions such as Simeon and Caiaphas.

Isaiah 29:15-16 (HCSB) "Woe to those who go to great lengths to hide their plans from the LORD. ⌊They do⌋ their works in darkness, and say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?” You have turned things around, as if the potter were the same as the clay. How can what is made say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”? How can what is formed say about the one who formed it, “He doesn’t understand ⌊what he’s doing⌋”?"

Harken unto the warning from God: nothing is done in darkness that He does not see! To think that the creature can keep secrets from the Creator is akin to thinking the clay has power over the potter! Paul alluded to this in his rebuke to self-righteous Jews of his day. Romans 9:20-21 (HCSB) "But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?" The mystery is not why are some people doomed to wrath; the mystery is why are any not?

Isaiah 29:18-21 (HCSB) "On that day the deaf will hear the words of a document, and out of a deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The humble will have joy after joy in the LORD, and the poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the ruthless one will vanish, the scorner will disappear, and all those who lie in wait with evil intent will be killed—those who, with ⌊their⌋ speech, accuse a person of wrongdoing, who set a trap at the gate for the mediator, and without cause deprive the righteous of justice."

Note the contrast: blind will see, humble (poor in spirit) will have unending joy, the wicked will be gone, justice will prevail - all in the presence of the Holy One of Israel! What a contrast to what we've just read where He kept some in darkness, without understanding, in fear of the doom that awaits them.

Isaiah 29:22-24 (HCSB) "Therefore, the LORD who redeemed Abraham says this about the house of Jacob: Jacob will no longer be ashamed and his face will no longer be pale. For when he sees his children, the work of My hands within his ⌊nation⌋, they will honor My name, they will honor the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are confused will gain understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction."

On THAT day, the promise to Abraham will be fulfilled as the New Covenant is completed, when the people of Israel (House of Jacob) are not ashamed - none of this remnant will think himself righteous, knowing he is not; all will fully trust in YHWH. When Jacob sees his children - his redeemed kinsmen of the flesh - all the ransomed sons of Israel will honor Him, knowing it was the Christ who redeemed them; as they stand in awe (true reverence and adoration) of the God of Israel. This is the Israel of God, the redeemed from every nation, tribe, and tongue - all children of Abraham according to the promise. Both Jew and Gentile will no longer be confused about Who the Messiah is nor about the nature of His kingdom. The confused and grumbling will be no more confused and no more grumbling, for their eyes see and their ears hear and their minds understand the glories of the grace of God in the person of Christ!

Here is the sum of the matter: Natural man, Jew and Gentile, is blind to truth, confounded about the gospel, unable to reconcile himself to God. According to His plan, Jesus (the Good Shepherd) is seeking out all those the Father has given Him, to bring them into His sheepfold. He gives grace to these, gives understanding, and loves them to the uttermost. If you are His, stand in awe of Who He is and what He has done!

Isaiah 28 - Woe and Bliss.

Isaiah 28 is another contrast between the woe that comes to people of the world and the true bliss of knowing God.

Isaiah 28:1 (HCSB) Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. ⌊Woe⌋ to those overcome with wine.

Another oracle begins, this time against Samaria. We see repeated references to obsession with intoxicating drink - described here as symbols of wealth and positions of influence (the crown may refer to the capital city, which sat on a hill overlooking the region); all of which will fade.

Isaiah 28:2-4 (HCSB) Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one— like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding waters. He will bring it across the land with ⌊His⌋ hand. The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot. The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand.

We see that God has a strong and mighty one to fulfill His will - one like a hail storm, a strong storm with floods; think Gen chapter 7. The symbols of wealth and power will be trampled down and shown as a sign of shame for those who trusted in uncertain things of this world. Unlike the fig tree in Matt 21:18-22, the fig tree in this passage had ripe fruit, ready for the picking - but not by those who found their security in their large barns.

Isaiah 28:5-6 (HCSB) On that day the LORD of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people, a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

On THAT day, YHWH of Hosts will become the crown of beauty and splendor to His people, a remnant of the world. This passage recalls the devastation in verses 2-4, using similar terms to describe the glory of being united with YHWH. He bring justice and strength to His people.

Verses 7-12 reveal the futility of trusting one's wisdom and abusing drink meant for reasonable pleasure. When people partake of too much beer and wine (or pizza and donuts) there are consequences. Drunkards have a very hard time dealing with life, they stumble confused as to what's going on. Their vision is muddled, their judgment is muddled, their tables are covered in vomit! Nobody will listen to them.

Isaiah 28:13 (HCSB) Then the word of the LORD came to them: “Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there,” so they go stumbling backward, to be broken, trapped, and captured.

YHWH speaks and throws their own words into their teeth, quoting the drunkard from verse 10.  These aimless people stumble backward, to be broken, trapped, and captured. Woe to these who tempt God by abusing gifts given to man. Woe to those who trust in wealth rather than the Creator and Lord of all.

Isaiah 28:14-15 (HCSB) Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you mockers who rule this people in Jerusalem. For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery.”

Here YHWH addresses the leaders in Judah, rulers over the people in Jerusalem, who had made a deal with a nation identified as Death to provide protection from Assyria from overwhelming them. They bragged that lies were their refuge and treachery their strong wall. This will not end well for them.

Isaiah 28:16-17a (HCSB) Therefore the Lord GOD said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable. And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason’s level. Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place."

Here we find architectural references to Christ, which are repeated in the gospels and epistles. Contrary to the papists who believe Peter is the cornerstone of "the church" God almighty has established His Son as the cornerstone, the sure foundation. As Jesus would later say, the one who builds on the Rock will withstand the fiercest storm, but the one who builds on sand will be devastated when the flood comes. YHWH's justice, not man's perverted "justice" will be the plumb line and His righteousness, not man's filthy rags, will the level.

Isaiah 28:17b-18 (HCSB) "And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason’s level.” Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place.  Your deal with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled.

Those who continue to trust in man will swept away in the judgment, as in the day of Noah. Juda's treacherous deal with Death and Sheol will not protect them; for when the Lord Jesus returns on that great and terrible day, the time of patience and place for repentance will have ended; and not a mortal soul will be able to find any refuge from the storm if they had not already found it in Christ. As we read in the previous chapter, Isaiah 27:11b "Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and their Creator will not be gracious to them." This will be the end of time, and all who continued in their rebellion will face the Judge who has no compassion or grace for them. Indeed, in verse 19 we see that "only terror will cause you to understand the message." He will have compassion and grace only for those clothed in His righteousness, and we all will be in awe as we consider how little we understood and how much He has done for us.

Isaiah 28:21-22 (HCSB) For the LORD will rise up as ⌊He did⌋ at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task. So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction for the whole land.

These references to well-known places in Israel bring home the message to those who dwell in the land, seeking comfort in large barns. Yet almighty God has spoken: what He will do will seem strange and disturbing to those who rest on Moses and Abraham. He will burden them with unbreakable shackles and destroy the whole land. He will take the kingdom from them and give it to a nation of kings and priests that will bear fruit (Matt 21:43 & 1 Peter 2:4-6).

The last part of this chapter breaks into a new line of thought. Isaiah 28:23 (HCSB) "Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say." With this call to listen up, God begins giving instruction on farming!

Isaiah 28:24-26 (HCSB) Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he ⌊continuously⌋ break up and cultivate the soil? When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border. His God teaches him order; He instructs him.

As He teaches the animals where to forage for food, as He tells the clouds where to go pour out their rain, so He teaches brute man how to tend the land so he can feed his family.

Isaiah 28:28-29 (HCSB) Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of ⌊the farmer’s⌋ cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it. This also comes from the LORD of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice; He gives great wisdom.

Simple truth about temporal things, properly used, is wisdom from God - wonderful news! Proper use of good things He has given us is wise; thanksgiving for His mercies in giving us bread and meat is the proper response. What a contrast to the attitude of Israel in Isaiah's day; for they had forgotten YHWH and had slid into the thankless, conceited position of thinking they were entitled to comfortable living, safe from the terrors of Assyria and the other pagans.

In the USA at this hour, we have our own pagans at the gate - claiming they own the nation and want to trample justice and exalt all sorts of sin and horror. Let us who know God - or rather are known by Him - stand for His Truth but never lose sight of which kingdom we belong to. As the ancient preacher taught, Ecclesiastes 9 (HCSB) Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, ... Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, ... Whatever your hands find to do, do with ⌊all⌋ your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Trust God, meditate on His Word. If you are His, He will be your wisdom and give you light to take the next step. If you are not His, cry out for mercy while you yet have breath. 

Isaiah 27 - The Vineyard of YHWH

Some Bibles title Isaiah 27 as "Leviathan Slain," as this is what the opening verse declares: Isaiah 27:1 (HCSB) "On that day the LORD with His harsh, great, and strong sword, will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent—Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea."

We have seen that the phrase "On that day" often means Judgment Day, but not exclusively. Leviathan is mentioned by Job and God (Job 3:8; 41:1) and in Psalms 74:14 and 104:26; where it is portrayed as a terrifyingly strong sea monster that God alone can handle; and that will be destroyed and fed to creatures of the desert when He restores His people (Ps 74). Leviathan was known in Canaanite mythology, representing evil. It is thought that Leviathan is mentioned in Scripture to convey the idea that when YHWH comes the second time He will destroy not only the historical and temporal forms of evil but the cosmic or spiritual forms as well. Just as Satan is portrayed as a serpent, evil is portrayed as Leviathan.

The balance of this chapter is about YHWH's vineyard - a wealth of metaphorical wisdom! Isaiah 27:2-3 (HCSB) "On that day sing about a desirable vineyard: I, Yahweh, watch over it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day so that no one disturbs it."

It's implied that YHWH planted this vineyard, He is the One Who tends it. It is a most desirable vineyard that is guarded so no one who unbid may come in and disturb it. Verses 4 & 5 describe how wild vines are trampled down and burned and good ones rely on God and have peace with Him. Anyone else think of John 15?

Isaiah 27:6 (HCSB) "In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit." Similar to "On that day" we see that Jacob will take root and Israel will bloom and the whole world will be filled with their fruit. We know that YHWH has always had people from every nation, tongue, and tribe marked out to be included in His kingdom - to yield fruit keeping with repentance. We know from the parable of the soils (Mark 4) that only in good soil will seed grow healthy roots and only healthy roots produce fruit and all that do not yield good fruit are trampled down and burned.

Verses 7 & 8 describe how God disciplines His people, they will not be annihilated as will His enemies. His people will be scattered like the seed freely cast along the way, so that people in every nation, tongue, and tribe will hear the gospel and be brought into His sheepfold (mixed metaphors!).

Isaiah 27:9 (HCSB) "Therefore Jacob’s iniquity will be purged in this way, and the result of the removal of his sin will be this: when he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing." This is the result of God's people being purified, purged of sin: false gods will be removed and their altars torn down. As when Jacob flew Laban and Rachel secretly brought pagan idols with them, so it is with many of God's people - we unknowingly carry the baggage of false gods and false worship with us - and have need to examine ourselves and our walk, asking for eyes to as God does and repent of all false ways. Asherah was a Canaanite goddess of fertility, mother of Baal; the wooden pole was like an altar or shrine to her. If we fail to rid ourselves of false ways, and we are His sheep, He will purge us and, while it will not seem pleasant, it is for our good and His glory.

Verses 10 & 11 describe the desolation of temporal wealth and power: the fortified city will be deserted, the trees will dry up (not yielding good fruit) and be burned as firewood. They are people without understanding and Creator God will not be compassionate or gracious to them.

Isaiah 27:12-13 (HCSB) "On that day the LORD will thresh grain from the Euphrates River as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and you Israelites will be gathered one by one. On that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the LORD at Jerusalem on the holy mountain."

On THAT day, YHWH will thresh His grain, from the north boundary to the southern boundary. John the Baptizer gave a preview of THAT day, telling the self-righteous Jews that Jesus was the Christ and had His winnowing fork in His hand, ready to clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat; leaving the chaff to be burned with fire that never goes out (Matt 3:12). Jesus told a parable of wheat and chaff confirming this:

Matthew 13:37-43 (HCSB) He replied: “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness. They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen!

God's judgment is true and none of His wheat will be burned up, but there will be fiery wrath poured out on many who claim they know Him and do not. On THAT day, a great trumpet will be blown - just as on the 7th day, the walls of Jericho fell as the last trumpet sounded (Joshua 6:15-20), so it will be on THAT day, when the all lost from all the lands will come and worship YHWH on the Mount Zion. Here's a little homework: Search out every instance of the word "lost" in the New Testament and see if anyone described as such (except Judas) is not found and brought home. Jesus came to seek and save that which was LOST. Those who are not found were not lost; they are not His sheep, but are goats of the world. But all the lost sheep of Israel, the Israel of God, on that day that the last trumpet sounds, will be found and brought into the sheepfold of God but that great shepherd and savior of His people, Jesus - Who is the Christ!